Frontiers of National and International Development

Frontiers of National and International Development is an incisive interrogation of statecraft and governance in the Global South. Drawing on theory, policy experience and case studies, particularly from South Africa and China, Ngcaweni explores how capable, ethical leadership is central to transforming national and global development trajectories. From the failures of neoliberalism to the promise of pluriversality and South-South solidarity, this book critiques dominant Western models and offers grounded, context-specific pathways for structural change. With chapters on BRICS, China-Africa relations, local government and bureaucratic renewal, Frontiers is both diagnostic and visionary. It challenges scholars, policymakers and development practitioners to reimagine governance, reclaim agency and build inclusive futures rooted in ethical, effective statecraft. A vital contribution to the literature on political economy and global development.

Busani Ngcaweni is the Director-General of the National School of Government. Before that, he was the Head of Policy and Research in the Presidency and Chief of Staff to President and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa. He also served as Chief of Staff to Deputy Presidents Kgalema Motlanthe, Baleka Mbete and Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. He joined the Policy Unit in the Presidency in 2005 as a Senior Policy Analyst, having been Divisional Director at Umsobomvu Youth Fund. He has balanced policy development, programme implementation, institution building and scholarly research to shape his application of statecraft. Ngcaweni is a graduate of the University of Durban-Westville, the University of Natal, the University of South Africa and Wits University. He is a DPhil Research Fellow in Economics at theChinese Academy of Social Sciences. He is also a Senior Research Associate at the University of Johannesburg and a Visiting Adjunct Professor at Wits School of Governance.